There is some real gravity to the way characters respond to you and, despite a few minor graphical glitches, it just plain looks good. Not only is the physics engine top notch, with every violent encounter responding to the exact way it has played out, but it translates so well onto the screen. With slow motion being such a commonly used tool in Max Payne 3, it brings another cinematic dimension to a game that already looks and feels like part of a movie.
And, speaking of glitches, there was an amusing moment where, instead of walking into a room full of trigger-happy bad guys, they all simply walked away shortly before I entered the room. As if they figured I wasn’t turning up and decided to go patrol a different section of the map. I never did get to catch up with them. But I guess that’s a good thing for them and their virtual families.
Dying, as I found out a couple of times, is a small inconvenience. You are returned to the previous checkpoint, but they occur often enough that you won’t be too put out by that. It actually seemed to (for me anyway) toe the very thin line of being addictive enough to make you want to keep trying until you succeed, and making you want to throw the controller.
While it is a linear game there are often several different approaches you can take to situations. At some points I simply charged in, guns blazing, and then melee-d them (although this isn’t recommended, it is extremely fun). At others I hung back, picked them off, and felt all proud at my ability to clear a room. It all depends on what you like, if you’re the type who is level headed and likes a full health bar and bragging rights, or if you love a messy, awesome, bloody fight. Clearly I am biased towards the latter, and that probably didn’t help my survival rate.
The chapter finished off with a Bullet Time cinematic that was, well, freaking awesome. It absolutely helped me feel like I had just kicked some serious butt, and made my sense of accomplishment rise about ten points. Surprisingly, the lack of load times also applies to progressing to the next chapter. Like the smoothness of a movie scene change, the chapter flowed on perfectly and made my grip on the controller that much tighter. Unfortunately, the preview ended there and I will now have to wait like the rest of you until May to get my hands on the full game.
Max Payne 3 will be available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation3 on May 15, 2012 in the US and May 18, 2012 in Australia and Europe, with the PC version launching on May 29th, 2012 in the US and June 1st, 2012 in Australia and Europe.
Check out the full gallery of Max Payne 3 screenshots below!
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